Rate of venous thromboembolism after surgical treatment of proximal humerus fractures.

INTRODUCTION: The rate of venous thromboembolism following surgical treatment of proximal humerus fractures is not well established. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients undergoing surgical treatment for proximal humerus fractures from September 2011 to May 2017 was performed. Included patients received only mechanoprophylaxis using sequential compression devises. All patients had at least 6 months follow-up. The primary outcome of interest was the rate of postoperative DVT and PE. RESULTS: 131 patients underwent 139 surgeries for proximal humerus fracture. After exclusion criteria were applied, 92 patients who underwent 92 surgeries were included. There were 47 females and 45 males. Five (5.4%) were taking Aspirin 81 mg preoperatively. There were 76 cases of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), 8 cases of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, 4 cases of hemiarthroplasty, 3 cases of closed reduction percutaneous pinning (CRPP), 1 case of open reduction without fixation. 53.3% of patients had one or more risk factors for VTE. There were no cases of fatal PE or DVT. There were two cases of symptomatic PE (2.2%) following one ORIF and one CRPP. There was one additional case of asymptomatic PE found incidentally after ORIF. Overall VTE rate was 3.3%. Fisher's exact test yielded that there was no significant association between the presence of VTE risk factors and prevalence of VTE postoperatively (p = 0.245). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of symptomatic VTE after surgery for proximal humerus fractures is low. Chemical VTE prophylaxis in patients after surgical fixation for proximal humerus fractures is not universally indicated. Selective prophylaxis for patients with systemic risk factors may be warranted.

The Influence of Exposure in Training to the Open Bankart on the Declining Current Use of the Procedure.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of exposure to the open Bankart during residency and fellowship on the trend toward obsolescence of the procedure. Our hypothesis was that the open Bankart would be used with decreasing frequency and that this would be related to lack of exposure to the procedure during training. METHODS: A survey consisting of 10 questions about their experience with the open Bankart procedure in residency, fellowship, and practice, as well as their current usage of it and other operations, was sent to members of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. Respondents were divided into groups based on the year of completion of training. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of the responses revealed a notable trend of progressively diminished use of the open Bankart by those trained before 2000 compared with those completing training between 2001 and 2017. Ancillary findings included more surgeons using the open Bankart for revision cases than as a primary procedure and many using the Latarjet for patients with less than 15% or even no glenoid bone loss. CONCLUSION: We concluded that a statistically notable trend of the decreasing use of the open Bankart was observed despite excellent reported outcomes and that its current role is most likely as a revision procedure. Lack of exposure to the operation in training is a major factor in its decline, and this decreasing exposure is self-perpetuating. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Survey.

Intraductal Adaptation of the 4T1 Mouse Model of Breast Cancer Reveals Effects of the Epithelial Microenvironment on Tumor Progression and Metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Low success rates in oncology drug development are prompting re-evaluation of preclinical models, including orthotopic tumor engraftment. In breast cancer models, tumor cells are typically injected into mouse mammary fat pads (MFP). However, this approach bypasses the epithelial microenvironment, potentially altering tumor properties in ways that affect translational application. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumors were generated by mammary intraductal (MIND) engraftment of 4T1 carcinoma cells. Growth, histopathology, and molecular features were quantified. RESULTS: Despite growth similar to that of 4T1 MFP tumors, 4T1 MIND tumors exhibit distinct histopathology and increased metastasis. Furthermore, >6,000 transcripts were found to be uniquely up-regulated in 4T1 MIND tumor cells, including genes that drive several cancer hallmarks, in addition to two known therapeutic targets that were not up-regulated in 4T1 MFP tumor cells. CONCLUSION: Engraftment into the epithelial microenvironment generates tumors that more closely recapitulate the complexity of malignancy, suggesting that intraductal adaptation of orthotopic mammary models may be an important step towards improving outcomes in preclinical drug screening and development.

Effects of intermittent intravenous saline infusions in patients with medication-refractory postural tachycardia syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a heterogeneous group of disorders that results in symptoms of orthostatic intolerance. Excess blood pooling has been observed to cause low effective circulating volume in the central vasculature. Consequently, acute volume loading with IV saline has emerged as a potential strategy for clinical intervention. We evaluated the impact of acute volume loading on both the signs and symptoms of patients suffering from POTS. METHODS: Fifty-seven subjects screened from our population of POTS patients and assenting to participation were administered the two surveys by telephone. Subjects completed each survey twice, before, and after initiating IV hydration therapy. The Orthostatic Hypotension Questionnaire (OHQ) was used to assess change in clinical symptomatology, while the short form 36 health survey (SF-36) was employed to assess the impact of IV saline infusion on quality of life. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients were included in the analysis. The average number of medications trialed before referral for IV hydration was 3.6 ± 1.7 medications. Saline infusions occurred with mean frequency of 11.3 ± 8.5 days and at a mean volume of 1.5 ± 0.6 l per infusion. The mean change of the OHQ was 3.1 ± 0.3 (95% CI 2.6-3.7; P < 0.001), with significant improvement in all the composite scores. The mean change in the SF-36 form was 19.1 ± 2.7 (95% CI -24.6 to -13.6; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Intermittent IV infusions of saline dramatically reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in patients suffering from POTS. Further work should explore its efficacy as a bridge study for patients of high symptomatic severity.